In the 17^th and 18^th century a new style of Greek folk stone carving began to emerge throughout Greece. This folk style was prevalent all over the Pelion peninsula and would eventually reach its climax in 19^th century. The stone reliefs  can be found on lintels above doorways and windows, on cornerstones, under balconies, on the outside wall of the sanctuaries of churches, and as the water spouts of fountains to name but a few places. At first glance most of us see these reliefs  as merely decorative details or ornamental sculpture used to make buildings look more important or interesting. The different designs and themes include symbols, plants, animals,  birds, reptiles, human faces, holy figures, even whole religious scenes.While decorative by nature, most of these carvings held important symbolic meanings and were strategically placed on houses, churches and fountains for different purposes, usually for protection, good luck or religious reasons.

As a stone carver and craftsman, I took a personal interest in better understanding these carvings and their meanings and felt that they should be documented before they are lost forever. Through personal visits and investigation, the use of photographs and research this project aims to document the stone reliefs throughout several of the more traditional villages of Pelion and to create an archive of the different carvings as well as a catalog of their symbolic meanings.